Video editing is one of those jobs that requires you to listen to the same thing over and over and over again. That can get really tiring, and it is made even worse if you have uncomfortable headphones.
So I want to share my favorite headphones for video editing, which are extremely comfortable, give you great quality audio, and most importantly are affordable. These are the Philips SHP9500s.
Before we get into it, for the sake of ethics, I want you to know this video is not paid or sponsored by Philips. They have no idea who I am, and I bought these with my own money for what I think is a very reasonable price, which we will talk about in a bit.
Weight And Size
The first thing you notice when you pick these up is the weight. They are quite light, even for their size, which makes them really comfortable to wear for an extended editing session. I have worn them for three or four hours at a time with zero issues, and I oftentimes forget they are there. So if you are reading this and noticing the weight of your own headphones and wanting something lighter, these are a great choice.
Of course, they are not going to be as light as a set of earbuds. But whereas earbuds can definitely cause fatigue after a while because they are stuck in your ears, these are over-ear with a pretty large earcup, and at least for my hopefully average sized ears they fit around them without any squeezing. I quickly forget they are even there.
Detachable Cord, And Headset Mode
As another plus, the included long cord is detachable, meaning that if you want something shorter or longer, or the cord starts to break, you can easily swap it out.
And if you want an extended gaming session with these too, you can pick up something like a V-Moda BoomPro microphone and plug it directly into the headphone jack, which converts them into a very high quality gaming headset.
Audio Quality, And Why Open Back Wins
All of that comfort would not really matter if the audio quality was not good, but in my admittedly non-audiophile experience, the audio quality here is really great. They have 50mm drivers, which give you a nice range of highs and lows without being too bass heavy.
But they also have a big differentiator from a lot of other headphones, which is that these are open back.
What that means is that unlike other popular editing headphones such as the Sony MDR-7506, these Philips let sound pass through from the outside. So anything you are listening to bleeds out a little and someone nearby could hear it, and likewise if someone is speaking near you, you can still hear them, albeit a bit muffled.
Now why would you want that? Is not the entire point of headphones to isolate outside sound so you can hear things better? Well, unlike Bose QuietComfort headphones, for example, which use active noise cancellation to mute everything around you, these actually let sound in. And that is not a bad thing.
The reason it is not a bad thing comes back to a term in the sound world called soundstage. Soundstage is essentially how distinctly you can hear every individual instrument being played in a song. With earbuds it can often feel like all of the instruments are being played on top of each other, but with open back headphones, because they are not containing all the sound, the soundstage feels wider, which can result in greater clarity in what you are listening to.
I find that expanded soundstage really useful whenever I am editing, because it helps me hear every individual audio track in my timeline, and I think you may find it helpful too.
Keep in mind, of course, that because of the open back design, if you often find yourself cranking up the volume, some of that sound is going to escape, and that could be disruptive to other people if you are editing in a library. And if you are someone who really needs to isolate yourself with no outside interruptions, these may not be the best for you either, because you will hear conversations around you.
That said, for me as a dad, I oftentimes get interrupted while editing by a family member, and I actually prefer the open back for exactly that reason. I can hear someone speaking, or crying, and respond to them without needing to take the headphones off, which really helps me stay in the zone.
Price
The affordability is one of the biggest reasons I love these. Open back headphones can get expensive. Really expensive. Some models from Sennheiser go for 1,800 bucks. Do not get me wrong, I am sure they sound incredible and I would love to have them, but we are talking about headphones for video editing here, not headphones for listening to your retro vinyl collection.
Thankfully the 9500s do not cost $1,800, or even $800. You can go online right now and get them for about 75 bucks, which I think is a really great deal. You are getting great audio quality, phenomenal comfort for long sessions, and, hey, this one may only apply to me, but as someone who has owned very fancy headphones in the past that I was terrified of breaking, and who now has a child who oftentimes picks up and drops my things, knowing that if these break I am only out 75 bucks instead of hundreds means I get way less stressed whenever I see my daughter pick up my headphones.
What About The SHP9600s?
If you are looking online you are going to see there is an updated model, the SHP9600.
I personally have not tried the 9600, and from my research the only difference between the two is that the 9600 has a bit more bass. Because when you are video editing you really want your sound to be as neutral as possible, I would go with the 9500s.
So there you have it. If you are looking for incredibly comfortable headphones with great audio quality at a very reasonable price, I am a really big fan of the Philips SHP9500s and I highly recommend checking them out. You can get them at Amazon or B&H.
Thanks To Artlist
Artlist is one of my favorite sites for licensing music and sound effects for basically any video, whether that is a wedding film, a corporate or commercial ad, or a YouTube video. Any video, Matt? Yes. Any video. Because Artlist offers one of the broadest music licenses for filmmakers, so you can use their music for pretty much anything.
I am a huge fan of their library of music from artists around the world. Whenever I have an Indian wedding to edit and I need instruments like the sitar that match the cultural vibe of the day, Artlist is the first site I check to find a soundtrack that works seamlessly with the visuals.
I also love their selection of sound effects. As someone who has spent literally hours looking for the perfect wind noise that is not too soft or too rumbly, or the ideal flag flapping sound that whips just right, their sound effects are a huge time saver.
There is so much to love in the Artlist library, with new music added daily and no need to worry about copyright claims no matter which platform you post on. Plus, with plans starting as low as $19.99 per month for unlimited downloads of both music and sound effects, it is one of the best deals in music licensing today. Sign up through my link and you get two extra months free on your subscription.
Lastly, if you happen to be a video editor, which you probably are considering this post is literally about headphones for video editing, I have put together a free guide called Edit Videos Like A Pro, which shows you some of the most important techniques that took me many years to learn. It is completely free.
Thanks so much for reading, and have a great day!